Altos 'Reserve Vina Hormigas' Las Hormigas Malbec 2007

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Wine Spectator 91
"A dark, lush style, with a dense core of plum sauce and crushed blackberry fruit laid over velvety tannins. The long, toast- and black licorice-filled finish carries some heft, but stays nicely balanced."

"The 2007 vintage consisted of a mild winter, dry and cool spring, and a particularly moist month of March. Harvest was delayed, and carried out in a very cool and dry environment, leading to wines with bright and openly expressive fruit.
The hand picked grapes go through a double sorting table and are gently crushed before going into small, stainless steel tanks to begin the fermentation which is done by native yeasts; the cap is gently punched down maximize the extractions of color and flavor from the skins. The time between crushing and pressing is approximately 30 days of which about 10 are of primary fermentation and 20 of extended maceration. Throughout the fermentation process, the temperature is kept around 28-30 Celsius degrees to gain depth and volume in the mouth. The wine is aged in barrels (only tight grain French oak) where malolactic fermentation takes place. There is extended lees contact over the 16 month ageing process; The wine is then bottled un-fined.
Impenetrable black color, bright purple rim. Ethereal nose of great complexity, with notes of red and black fruit, bergamot, lavender, flint, and smoked cedar wood. Silky mouth, with huge structure, sustained mid palate and almost endless finish.
The Altos Estate was founded in 1995, and is now owned by a group of Italian wine professionals. Winemakers Alberto Antonini and Attilio Pagli focus specifically on Bonarda and Malbec varietals. The grapes are hand picked in vineyards located in La Consulta and Vista Flores in the Uco Valley; and Vistalba, Perdriel and
Las Compuertas in Lujan de Cuyo." ~ Winery notes